San Francisco vindicator., 1887-07-30

lar circumference. as our stockades
have thirteen straight sides of fifteen
feet each. and the gate side of twenty
feet. We never expected our stockades
would hold over one hundred elephants;
sixty-fye was the greatest number we
had ever impounded before, though I
must say they had plenty of room when
the resistance was overcome and the
final struggle to get into the stockade
began. The thing seemed impossible
after seeing the elephants half covering
a hillside or trooping along in single
file. One wave to the man who stood
over the gate rope with his axe, and the
ponderous gate came down on the backs
OF the last few elephants, and as they
struggled from under it, and it fell into
position. it was quickly lashed by many
willing hands.
Immediately everybody went to work
to strengthen the stockade. It was
never really in danger, but we made
assurance doubly sure. A supple.
mental stockade was at once commenced
by barricading off twenty yards of the
space between the guiding palisades
outside the gate. The elephants wero
pounded at tonep. M, butt was not until
$50 p. m. that all was ready. We theb
hauled up to the gate and relieved them
from the Black Hole-hke confinement.
of the stockade by admitting them int
the new one. 1t was filled at once, but
really the crowd in the first stockade
hardly seemed decreased. Early mex.
morning we shut off some thirty-five ele-
plants in the supplemental stockade by
closing the gate, and the tame elephants
were then admitted, and by evening
had secured this lot and removed and
tied them up in the forest near. At
night the gate between the stockades
was again raised to give the remainder
room, and wild plantain trees and
other succulent cooling fodder were
supplied to them, By next morning we
had followed out two tree trunks twen-
ty feet long, and pushed their ends
through the timbers of the stockade
and by keeping men with buckets carry
ing water from the Ganol stream, which
flowed within few yards of the stock
ade, we supplied the thirsty animals
with plenty of cold, clear mountain
water, for which they seemed heartily
thankful, and which in addition to drink
ing they showered over their bodies.
For the seventy-nine elephants the men
earned 245 rupees as a present among
about seventy of them. On the third
day, the 18th, the last of the elephants
was removed, and the whole number
tied in large clearing in the forest
near. Here they are now before me as
/ write, and in camp with them are
numerous tame elephants. The ele-
plants being loosened and taken to
water, struggling at their picket, or
standing in dignified silence with thick
cables round their necks and legs,
anchoring them fore and aft between
trees, form scene which ought to be
painted. In few days they will be
marched down to the low country in
squads by easy stages. need hardly
say that such a capture as 1876 elephants
was never made before, and we ascribe
our luck to the presence of lady at
the drive, and to this being the jubilee
year. / intended to roll large bowlder
into the stockade by the help of our
tame elephants, and to have an inscrip-
ton cut on it, recording the event of
this unprecedented capture in the
fiftieth year of her Majesty's reign
Pail Mall Gazette.